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The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's winter sailing schedule is being impacted by difficulties in docking vessels at the new Liverpool ferry terminal.

The nationalised ferry service said that issues had been encountered at recent berthing trials, carried out by the Manxman and Ben My Chree.

These trials “identified challenges to safely moor vessels at various tidal heights, particularly at the forward end of these vessels”.

As a result, sailing times between early November until the end of December will need to be modified to ensure the “safe and efficient delivery of operations”.

The Steam Packet said that it was now working with the Isle of Man Government’s Department of Infrastructure to find "solutions to mitigate the impact of these challenges" at the new £70m terminal, which opened in June.

The project, which transfers the Isle of Man’s ferry services from Pier Head to Princes Dock in Liverpool, was both delayed and came in £32m over budget - although the final cost is yet to be confirmed.

In August, the Manannan fastcraft's sailings were disrupted due to problems with “unsafe motion” of the new terminal’s linkspan, which were also caused by tidal issues.

This month’s Liverpool berthing trials had also included the older Ben-My-Chree vessel, in addition to its replacement, Manxman, in order to ensure "operational flexibility" throughout the Steam Packet's fleet.

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